Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Bloomsday and South Dakota

Ulysses and James Joyce fans, it's Bloomsday. The action of Joyce's 1922 novel all takes place on June 16th, and the Irish and literary folks alike have embraced this as Leopold Bloom Day. In Dublin, enthusiasts reenact Bloom's activities as described in the book.

At lunchtime it's traditional to stop off for a glass of burgundy and a Gorgonzola sandwich at Davy Byrne's Pub on Duke Street, just as Bloom did. In the afternoon the Ormond Hotel is the spot for an afternoon pint, where Bloom was tempted by the barmaids in the Sirens chapter.

The book was notoriously banned in the US for its graphic content. Oddly, it was first published in Paris by Shakespeare and Company. I was just standing in their store a month ago.

I have to say that listening to Garrison Keillor read "Mary Bloom's Soliloquy" on NPR's Writer's Almanac tonight ("I put my arms around him yes and drew him down to me so he could feel my breasts all perfume yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes") was creepier than a backrub from grandma.

We're leaving for the Grand Lodge of South Dakota meeting in Sioux Falls. Looking forward to being there! I'll be speaking to their Lodge of Research on Friday afternoon at 4:00.

Freemasonry is...

Freemasonry is the world's largest, oldest and best-known gentleman's fraternity. It is based on the medieval stonemason guilds who built the great castles and cathedrals of Europe. Modern Freemasons use the tools, traditions and terminology of those stonemasons as allegories for building temples in the hearts of men. It's said that we are a secret society. We do indeed have secrets—secrets that each individual man has to discover for and about himself. It's not for everybody. Maybe it's for you.

"Brother Chris Hodapp's [blog]...is thought provoking and is often the first place on the web where new ideas and matters of interest are posted."

Christopher L. Hodapp is the former editor of the "Journal of The Masonic Society." He is the author of the best-selling "Freemasons For Dummies," and "Solomon's Builders: Freemasons, Founding Fathers and the Secrets of Washington D.C."
He is the co-author with Alice Von Kannon of "The Templar Code For Dummies" and "Conspiracy Theories and Secret Societies For Dummies."
He has appeared on the History and Discovery channels on the subject of Freemasonry, its role in the founding of the United States and the building of Washington D.C.
Hodapp has spent more than twenty years editing, writing and directing as a commercial filmmaker. He has written for corporate and non-profit programs, and his voice has appeared in many television and radio commercials.
His newest book, "Deciphering the Lost Symbol," was published in 2010.
He is a 33rd degree Scottish Rite Freemason, and he lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.